Why I am voting for the high school drop out

This post is a bit about Oregon Politics. Our primary will be counted on Tuesday May 20th, although we have had ballots in our hot little hands for 3 weeks now. We vote by mail or elections drop boxes only. No exit polls here, unless they get the last minute voter physically dropping off ballots at the Elections drop boxes.

senator Gordon Smith must go…..
Smith did a huge grandstand speech about how the Iraq war is illegal & immoral. How he can no longer support a mission that conducts the same approaches on the same streets in the same way. Compelling & impressive, really- especially coming from a Republican Senator.
Smith then returned to D.C & voted to approve all the funding for war Bush asked for again & again.

Gordon Smith– don’t toy with voters in this way. That action alone is reason to kick his sorry ass out of the Senate.

Who to replace him with……

There are a few Democrats in the primary– one sems to be more a wildcard. Steve Novick.
Novick impressed me with the initial obvious move– right there in the Voters Guide book, he put in black and white for all to see, consequences be damned if it is controversial– that he never did support the Iraq war & wants to troops out NOW. As a Senator, he would be in the position to actually vote on it. His equally popular opponent does not even mention Iraq in his statement. Being calculated & comfortable- stay away from the controversial topic.
Tiptoe through the elections process. I delved into his website & he has some get troops out in maybe 12 months or so…. kind of blather. Ask the troops doing multiple tours of duty if they think 12 months or so more in Iraq is a good idea.

A little info re Novick….. I love his story- Junior High School Dropout

Steve grew up in a working-class family in Cottage Grove, Oregon. When budget cuts temporarily shut down his junior high school, Steve enrolled in the University of Oregon at age 14.

After a semester, Steve was allowed to enroll in the University’s Honors College. When he graduated in 1981 and was accepted to Harvard Law School, the Eugene Register-Guard wrote: “Harvard Law School doesn’t make a habit of accepting junior high school dropouts, but in Steven Novick’s case Harvard has made an exception.”

Steve went to Harvard Law School at 18 and then joined the U.S. Justice Department to take on big polluters, recovering $129 million for taxpayers as lead counsel in the Love Canal case. After working briefly for New York and San Francisco law firms, Steve joined the Environment Division (then known as the “Land and Natural Resources Division”) of the United States Department of Justice in 1987. There he brought numerous successful lawsuits against big polluters for violations of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

Coming back to Oregon, Steve was at the center of the fight against Bill Sizemore’s attacks on education and health care funding. He also took on the Lottery Commission and the special interest lobbyists, securing millions more lottery dollars for our schools.

Novick is 4′9″ & was born without a left hand. He has a hook hand & does promote Left Hook Ale.
An opponent’s political ad states Novick insulted Hillary– another plus in my book.

Novick does not pander, or bullshit. He has the endorsement of previous Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, which I hold in high esteem. Kitzhaber was an emergency room Doctor when he decided to get into politics to create an Oregon Health plan, which he did. He served Oregon well for two terms.

We could use a guy like Novick to get in the Senate & shake things up. He has my vote.